Demolition work is well underway at a "landmark" Bournemouth town centre church which is set to be replaced with 107 flats.

The Punshon Memorial Church in Exeter Road is to be replaced with 45 holiday lets and 62 open market units.

The scheme had been heavily criticised by the Bournemouth Civic Society, which declared it was “too massive, too high and above all too aesthetically weird”.

They claimed the proposed building was a “most unimaginative construction,” which appeared to be “a machine for obtaining maximum rental income”.

But Bournemouth Tourism supported the scheme and planning board members voted by eight to two to approve the application.

The site already had permission for a total of 90 flats and councillors agreed the increase to 107 and the loss of the church tower and spire was acceptable.

Planning board member Cllr Phil Stanley-Watts said: “It’s a landmark site that needs to be built on because it’s been empty for a long time. I’ll be sorry to see the church go as it’s been a landmark for many years, but I don’t want to see this site remain derelict.”